Method, network device and computer program product for performing service discovery in a pervasive network

• US 8,126,982 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2002
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nidd, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Application Number:
  US10/062,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,679 Days
• Field of Search: 709/208, 709/249, 709217-219, 709223-229, 340/825.01
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Described are a method, wireless network device and computer program element each for performing service discovery in a pervasive wireless network (WLAN) operating according to standards such as the Bluetooth standards comprising access protocols and service discovery protocols enabling a network device (CL1):

• a) in a first state to access a remote device (SR2) in order to obtain information for the set-up of a connection,
• b) in a second state to set up a connection to the remote device (SR2) and retrieve information related to services provided by the remote device (SR2), the discovered information being required to configure connections to the remote device (SR2) and using the related services, and
• c) in a third state the device (CL1) publishes and thus actively forwards retrieved service information to other devices (CL2, SR3) which in turn update their lists of services available from devices (CL, SR) connected to the pervasive network (WLAN).

Claims

1. A method for performing service discovery in a pervasive wireless network comprising a plurality of devices including a network device and other devices, wherein lists are maintained and updated for services that are available from the plurality of devices connected to the pervasive network, the method comprising the network device:

accessing a remote device to obtain information for establishment of a connection to the remote device;

establishing a connection to the remote device whereby the remote device joins the pervasive wireless network;

retrieving from the remote device service information related to services provided by the remote device, connection information for configuring connections to the remote device and service usage information for using the services;

updating a list of all network services at said network device based on retrieved service information; and

forwarding the retrieved service information to the other network devices for said other network devices to perform updating of lists of services available from the plurality of devices connected to the pervasive network based on the received information.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising forwarding service information received by a network device acting as a master to connected network devices acting as slaves and forwarding service information received by a network device acting as slave to connected network devices acting as master.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising sensing traffic on a carrier and forwarding service information during idle periods.

4. A method according to claim 1, comprising forwarding service information over control channels.

5. A method according to one of the claim 1, comprising forwarding service information in a pervasive network operating according to the Bluetooth standards via default packet types being activated for control purposes when no user data is to be sent.

6. A method according to claim 5, comprising packing service information to be forwarded into a payload of packets and delivering to a connected network device.

7. A method according to claim 1, comprising forwarding service information in a pervasive network operating according to the Bluetooth standards via undefined packet types.

8. A wireless network device for performing service discovery in a pervasive wireless network (WLAN), wherein lists are maintained and updated for services that are available from the plurality of devices connected to the pervasive network, the device comprising:

a) means for accessing a remote device to obtain information for the set-up of a connection to the remote device via the network,

b) means for establishing a connection to the remote device, whereby the remote device joins the pervasive wireless network, and for retrieving from the remote device information related to services provided by the remote device and storing the retrieved information in lists, the retrieved information comprising connection information for configuring connections to the remote device before using the discovered services and service information comprising identification of those services;

c) means for updating a list of all network services at said network device based on retrieved service information; and

d) a service discovery protocol for forwarding retrieved service information to other devices via the network to facilitate the other devices in updating lists stored therein of services available from devices connected to the network.

9. A network device according to claim 8, comprising means for sensing traffic on a carrier and forwarding service information during idle periods.

10. A network device according to claim 8, comprising means for forwarding service information over control channels.

11. A network device according to claim 8, comprising means for packing the service information into a payload of packets and delivering said packets to a connected device.

12. A recording medium embodying a computer program element comprising computer program code which, when loaded in a processor of devices for a data communications network, configures the processor to perform a method for performing service discovery in a pervasive wireless network comprising a plurality of devices including a network device and other devices, wherein lists are maintained and updated for services that are available from the plurality of devices connected to the pervasive network, the method comprising the network device:

accessing a remote device to obtain information for establishment of a connection to the remote device;

establishing a connection to the remote device whereby the remote device joins the pervasive wireless network;

retrieving service information from the remote device related to services provided by the remote device, connection information for configuring connections to the remote device and usage information for using the services;

updating a list of all network services at said network device based on said retrieved service information;

forwarding the retrieved information to the other network devices;

for said other network devices to perform updating of lists of services available from the plurality of devices connected to the pervasive network based on the received information.